The norris peters



(No Mod j 4 SheetsSheet 1.

F. A. J ON 13. FLYING MACHINE.

No. 605,579. Patented June 14, 1898.

MAJ/ m? THE cams PETERS 00., PHDTULITNO.. wnsumamu, n. c.

4 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

P. A. JONE. FLYING MACHINE.

No. 605,579. Patented June 14, 1898.-

4 Sheets-Sheet 3..

(N0 Model.)

F. A. JONE. FLYING MACHINE.

Patented June 14, 1898.

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 4.

F. A. J ONE. FLYING MACHINE.

No; 695,579,. PatentdJune 14,1898.

II II m: Noams PETERS co.. mum-Una. wuumuwn. n. c.

' YUNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

FRIEDRICH ALEXANDER J ONE, OF DBESDEN, GERMANY.

FLYING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,579, dated June 14, 1898.

Application fil d March 18, 1897. Renewed May 17, 1898. Serial No. 680,992. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- n

Be .it known that I, FRIEDRICH (called FRITZlALEXANDER J ONE, a subject of the Kin g of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at Dresden-Blasewitz, in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Aerial or Flying Machines or Vessels, of which the/following is a specification.

The flying-machine forming the object of the present invention is primarily character- 'ized by an improved form of the gas-container.

The importance of the shape of the gas eves-r sel for steering purposesis very great. While former inventors have triedto imitate the shape of a cigar or torpedo or the shape of a fish and of a bird, I have adopted the shape of a diskthe discus-of the ancients. accurate way in which a disk preserves its course of travel when thrown is well known. A fiat disk has no body and not sufficient volume, so that it cannot be imitated exactly and cannot form a gas vessel of sufficient carrying capacity. Therefore I have decided to adopt a lens-shaped container. It has all the good properties of a disk required for my purpose and is also recommended by the following circumstances, which. tends to bring the problem of aerial flight considerably plane representing the direction of flight in Whichever direction radially to the balloon said currents and resistances act.

For the purpose of arranging lateral driv ingmechanism, for receiving themachinerynecessary for that purpose, for receiving the aeronauts and their instruments, & c., there is passed through the lens-shaped gas-balloon in the direction normal to its vertical plane a tube closed against the balloon, but open on both sides, said tube forming, so to say, the hub of the lens-shaped wheel. In order to secure this tube in the balloon and to insure the lens shape of the latter being maintained,

I propose to use a framesurrounding the.bal-

loon, which frame may be made very stifi order also to shift the center of gravity of the whole flying-machine downward, a car made gaslight and open as possible and containing the propelling mechanism and parts, ballast,

&c. One form of construction according to the present invention is illustrated in theaccompanyingdrawings.

Figures 1 and 2 are views of the complete airship, details being shown only diagrammatically, Fig. 1 being a front view and Fig. 2 a side view. Fig. 3 is a side view of the lower portion of the balloon, the car being shown in section. Fig. eis a plan of the car. Fig. 5 is a part of a central axial section through the tube passing through the center of the balloon, one win g and its driving mechanism being shown. Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-section according to Fig. 5, a part of the surface of the wing being shown; and Fig. 7

is a front view of the tube according to Fig. 6.

The shape of the gas-holder A can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2; but it may of course be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, for instance, the lens may be made with meeting edges at a diiferent angleto that shown in the drawings. A polygonal circumference instead of a round one would not represent any substantial alteration, but at the same time would be of little use.

The framing B, surrounding the gas-holder A, consists, in the construction shown in the drawings, of a rim 1 of T-iron with the basis directed downward, the web forming the keel. To this rim'are attached wire spokes 2, which connect the rim 1 with the central tube or hub C. ,The latter is shown in Figs. 5 to 7 as a'sheetmetal tube; but it can also be a framing'of rigid rings and longitudinal rods. The tube G is open at each end, where there are arranged wings, blades, or other propellingmechanism, which Will behereinafter' described. The gas-holder A surrounds the central tube 0 by means of air-tight tube a. (Showndotted in Fig. 1.) The fabricofwhich the gas-container is made is cut one and arranged by means of lacing, &c., in order to.

take off to a greater or lesser extent pressure of the gas-holder from the spokes, which pressure would tend to bend them.

To the tube C is attached, by means of rods 3, the car I), in the form of an open light frame of iron, bamboo, or other suitable material, and closed or covered at the sides and underneath only as much as required for receiving the driving mechanism, say, accumulators, ballast, &c., and for accommodating the aeronauts. The stays or rods 4: serve to rigidly connect the car with the rim 1 of the gas vessel. At the fourlower corners of the car may be arranged wheels 5, which would prevent the car, when landing, from dragging along the ground or catching and upsetting the flying-machine.

A rudder E surrounds a part of the circumference of the rim 1 and is constituted by a strong frame covered with canvas or other material and pivoted on the upper and lower pins 6 and 7 to the rim. The lower pivot 7 is continued downward so as to enter the car, Fig. 3,and is connected by means of suitable gearing, such as toothed wheels,with a steering-wheel S. The steering may be effected in this manner from the car.

An advantage of the present form of the gas-container is that it enables a large rudder to be used, which is very effective not only on account of its large size, but also on account of its position. To prove this assertion, I refer to the analogy offered by an ordinary ship. The relative arrangement of hull and rudder is the same as in this case.

The propelling mechanism consists of two lateral propellers arranged at the ends of the central tube C, a screw at the top of the frame B, a similar one 011 the car D, and a third one at the front of the frame 13. The two first ones are the most important, the rest being merely auxiliary. These two side propellers are preferably in the form of wings F F,which are moved in a direction to enable the balloon to move in a horizontal direction. These wings consist of two frames ff, in which a number of cross-rods 9 are supported, Fig. 6, said rods serving as spindles for pivoted flaps 10 on each rod, said flaps being of any desired or preferred construction. The flaps are arranged so (according to Fig. 7) that they open when swinging forward, as shown dotted in Fig. 7 on the right-hand side, so as to cut the air with their edge. Too great an opening or turning over to the wrong side is prevented by cords 11 or by stops. hen the wings swing backward, the flaps are antomatically closed, owing to the resistance of the air. Thus a wing swinging backward exposes its full surface to the air. That side of the frame which is next to the central tube 0 turns on a strong hinge 12, Figs. 5 to 7, or joint. Two connecting-rods, one on either side of the hinge 11L, are joined by means of universal joints to a cross-beam attached to the wing 13, thus connecting said beam with the cranks 15 of a shaft 16. The latter is retated with sullicicnt speed from the shaft 17 of an electromotor F by means of a worm 1S and worm wheel 10. This mechanical arrangement is separate for each wing, especially if it is not desired to drive both wings, by means of a transmission-gear in the tube 0 from one machine.

If the wings F are to be used only for propulsion in a horizontal direction, then the pins of the hinges 12 may be fixed relatively to the tube C. In such case the movement in normal or oblique direction would be effected by means of the screws on the top of the gascontainerB and on the car alone, or the wings could be used at the same time, if desired; but, if desired, the wings may be made adjustable, so that they will be capable of oscillating not only in a horizontal, but also, when desired, in an oblique or angular plane. To this end the hinges 12, the motors F, and the rest of the propelling mechanism, Figs. 5 to '7, are supported in an inner ring 0, which is rotatable to an angle of, say, ninety degrees in the end portions of the central tube 0. The simultaneous adjustment of both rings 0 may be effected by means of toothed racks 20, arranged around the inner circumference of the inner rings 0, and a spindle 21, parallel to the axis of C, the central tube having toothed wheels 22, engaging with the aforesaid teeth 20, and a device driven by hand or meehanicallyforcausing the spindle 21 to rotate, which device consists, according to the drawings, of a crank 23 and a pair of bevel-wheels connected to the spindle 2%. The inner rings C may turn on rollers 25, if desired.

The wings in Fig. 1 are shown in horizontal position, seen edgewise, by simple lines, and in normal position-that is to say, seen from the face-by dotted lines.

As regards the propeller-screws G at the top of the machine B, H in the central part of the car D, and J at the front or bow ofthe vessel B, it need only be remarked that if the flying-machine be propelled electrically each of them is provided with a separate electromotor G, H, or J, which, as G and J, directly drive the shaft of the propeller, or are connected with said shaft by gearing 26 27. The blades of the propellers are preferably made as frames covered with fabric. Electric propulsion has the great advantage of enabling the power stored up in the accumulators to be easily transported to the diiferent parts of the flying-machine and each part either to rest or to work separately or together with others, as desired, and that all.

parts can be operated from one point. The accumulators K K are preferably placed in the car. The electric wires, which are well known, are not shown in the drawings.

It must be generally remarked with reference to the working that the propelling mechanism described may be replaced by other devices. This applies also to the wings F F.

The arrangement of lateral propelling mechis'considered by the inventor to be essential and extremely advantageous; but these parts need not be wings, and if they be wings they may be constructed in. amanner different from that described and illustrated.

Any of the well-known auxiliary devices may be used for utilizing air-currents or for assisting the rudder in-maintaining the desired direction of flight.

The aeronauts are located in the central tube 0 and-in the car, which are connected I together by means of a ladder or staircase 28,

' gas-holder may be divided into several airtight chambers or compartments or may be formed of several small gas-containers which may be filledindependently of each other, whereby the danger arising through one of them becoming leaky'will be considerably minimized.

I claim 1. In an aerial or flying machine or vessel,

- the combination with the gas-container, of the lateral propelling mechanism located at the axial center of said container; substantially as described. v

2. In anaerial or flying machine or vessel the combination with the lens-shaped gascontainer, of the lateral propelling mechanism located at the axial center of said con-' tainer; substantially as described.

3. An aerial or flying machine or vessel consistin g of a lens-shaped gas-container, having a central tubular space for machinery, pasrelatively to the hub and mechanism for operatin g said wings; substantially as described.

6. In an aerial or flying machine or vessel, the combination with the gas-container, the central hub, the pivoted propelling-wings, the cross-beam attached to the wings, ashaftcarried by the hub, cranks on said shaft, connecting-rods each connected at one end to the cross-beam and at the other to the cranks, a motor and gearing interposed between the motor and shaft; substantially as described.

7. In an aerial or flying machine or vessel, the combination with the gas-containers,the central hollow hub, an inner ring within the hub, the wings carried by said ring and'means for rotating said ring to adj ustthe wings; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

FRIEDRICH ALEXANDER J ONE.

WVitnesses O'rcro WoLFF, HUGO DUMMER. 

